Incandescence
by kisekiii
Summary: "That's Tom Riddle, the genius fighter and tactician!" "Riddle? Isn't he a Gaunt?" "Yeah well, he's a bastard isn't he? And the only reason he's in the palace is because of our queen and his brother, Harrison Gaunt!"


**A/N:** **rewrite** **of 'Do Not Speak Against The Sun'**

 **Important:**

AU that's ROUGHLY inspired by the TV series Game of Thrones

manipulative!harry—I cannot stress this enough

mentioned mpreg due to 'Carrier' characters

basically, all the warnings for Game of Thrones are applied here

yes, I know Merope is Morfin's sister and Marvolo's daughter but for this story, I'm making her Marvolo's sister

 **CHAPTER ONE: A Northern Welcome**

 _There was an old folklore told throughout generations about the Sun and how he united the Seven kingdoms of the known world. He catered to everyone to the best of his abilities. When the people asked for something, he gave it. When the people complained about something, he fixed it. When the people demanded for more, he made it a point to give more._

 _The sun blessed the entire land and he was loved dearly._

 _He asked nothing in return except for the obedience to his one order:_

 _ **Adversus solem ne loquitor.**_

 _ **Do not speak against the sun.**_

 _A path for the Seven was paved,  
Gifts were bestowed and a promise foretold;  
The river shall run, the mountain shall stand,  
Cities will rise and prosper under its command;  
The sea shall sing, the wind will rave,  
And the dead shall rise from the grave;  
Should the Sun not shine- no one can be saved_

 **XXXXXXXX**

"Rose!"

A shout resounded through the grand halls of the Weasley estate. There was a muffled giggle heard as a response to this and a little girl, perhaps between the ages of five and six quickly opened another door leading to another unknown passage.

"Rose! Where are you?"

Light pink with lavender hue dress swept across the intersection of halls as hurried footsteps echoed in the empty halls. The owner of the dress muttered darkly under her breath and mentally blamed the Weasley genes for the insufferable mischief maker in the form of her daughter.

She heard a clutter from behind her and promptly stopped. A childish giggle was heard next and another cluttering sound (perhaps some antique things that fell from the shelf inside the room).

"Oh, Rose, honey come out already. I know you're in there."

For a few seconds nothing happened and as she was about to open the door herself, a small blur came busting out of aforementioned room and attached itself to the flowing dress of the lady.

"Mommy!"

Hermione chuckled lightly at the exuberant energy her daughter possessed and proceeded to kneel in front of the child. She frowned lightly at the messy hair the child sported and brushed it with her fingers as a compensation.

"Honey, what have I told you about going around the estate and entering all those unknown passages?"

"But moooom! I think I may have found another passage that leads to the Astronomy tower!"

"What have I told you about going around the estate and entering all those unknown passages?" Hermione repeated in a stern voice.

The child seemed to deflate a bit and looked down on the floor.

"Rose," Hermione sighed in an exasperated tone, "We've been through this so many times already. What if you end up being trapped in one of those passages and since no one else knows about it, how can we save you?"

"I can shout," was the whispered response.

"And if it was an underground passage?"

"I always find a way out."

"And if you don't?"

There was a few moments of silence before the little girl shyly peeked at her mother through her bangs and said, "Mommy would always find me."

Hermione resisted the urge to cuddle her daughter in favor for a stern face.

"And if that passage lead to the _Wastes_?"

The child gasped in horror and clung to her mother in an almost desperate manner. Hot tears started flowing from her eyes and trickled down her chubby cheeks at the thought of being trapped in the Wastes.

Late night stories from the twins made their way back in her mind and she shuddered in fright. She didn't want to ever see that place much less fall through it. Oh yes, she knew of all those nightmarish stories-from the entrapped soul that would float for eternity in the Wastes to be tormented down to the fate of the physical body left behind in this plane.

"Oh, honey, please don't cry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"What's happening here?"

A new voice entered the scene and in came the plump figure of the Weasley matron.

"I seemed to have scared Rose in the process of scolding her about the unknown passages in the estate," replied Hermione as she hugged her daughter tightly and ran her hand through the semi-bushy hair of the child.

"Oh, dear, Rose, your mother is just being worried, you know that, right?"

A few more sniffles were heard before a small voice spoke up, "Yes, I know. I'm sorry, mommy. I'm sorry grandmother."

"That's quite alright dear, now c'mon you two, the king's entourage has been sighted."

Hermione picked up Rose and let themselves be ushered towards the estate entrance. She lowered her daughter and kissed the forehead of her other child.

"Rose, stay with Hugo, okay?"

With a slight nod from both children, she quickly pecked her husband's cheek and stood behind him.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked.

"I found Rose shuffling around the passages again. At this rate, she's bound to make a whole new map of the estate with all the secret passages she's been finding," Hermione replied.

There were snickers from the twins and Hermione shot them a dark look.

"Maybe you could try giving Rose a good influence for once."

Fred dramatically clutched his chest and moaned pathetically.

"You hurt our chivalrous hearts, my lady."

Hermione scoffed.

"Are they here yet?" asked Hugo as he tried straining his neck to get a better look at the vast expanse of land beyond the gates of the Weasley estate.

"Percy sent an owl just a few minutes back stating that they've crossed the bridge already," responded the youngest child and only daughter, Ginny Weasley.

"They must be near then," joined Charlie.

"I'm so excited!" giggled Rose, who seemed to have completely forgotten her crying escapade moments before in favor for her exuberance with meeting the royalties.

"Yes, yes. But don't forget your manners when you greet them, alright?" Hermione gently chided.

"Are the royalties nice?" a five year old Hugo asked innocently.

The adults traded uncomfortable looks before the head of the family answered with slight hesitation in his voice, "Well...the Seven kingdoms are thriving," he paused for a few moments as if struggling to find the right words, "They just have some set of ideals and beliefs that are not the same as ours here in the North."

Ginny snorted, "That's putting it lightly, don't you think? If they can have it their way, they'd approve of the slavery of all muggles."

"Yeah, but you better watch it Gin, you don't want the wrong people to hear that comment or it's off with your head, dear sister," responded George.

"But it is true! The Gaunts are pure blood supremacists much like those Malfoys; only they're worst than any of the Seven because they'd rather keep all the power within themselves to the point that they had the crown prince marry his own brother," persisted Ginny.

"What eez wrong with eet? Ze future queen iz a _Carrier_ , after all," questioned a beautiful blonde woman.

Ginny turned to her in a hasty manner and scrunched up her face. Before she could respond, however, somebody beat her to it.

"But they're _full blooded siblings_ , darling," came an elder lady's voice, "The Gaunts had always been such a scandalous family. King Marvolo married his own sister, Queen Merope and they continued with the regent heir, Prince Morfin being married with his own brother; honestly, all those extreme inbreeding and four spawns to boot! And you have heard, have you not?" This time, she whispered conspiringly as if she were imparting the biggest secret of the century, "Of the three Gaunt siblings, the youngest is actually a _bastard_."

There were surprised gasps from the other people within the vicinity and the bearer of the news looked smug at the attention she was getting.

"That is enough, Aunt Muriel," stated Molly Weasley.

But the crowd would have none of it.

"So you're saying that the third child is not of King Marvolo's blood? He is not a Gaunt?"

"Oh, he has the Gaunt blood, alright. He's from the previous queen Merope, yes. But do you remember the issue of Queen Merope disappearing for five years? Ohh, yes, it seems she had sired a child from a non-Seven," continued the old lady.

"A non-seven?!"

"For a Gaunt? That is preposterous!"

"I've heard of that news before!"

"SILENCE!"

A hush quietness suddenly prevailed within the crowd of spectators as Arthur Weasley finally put his foot down.

"We will not talk about the supposed scandals of the Gaunt Family. We will not receive them with negative rumors. What we will do is that we will welcome them with our most hospitable selves for no matter what choices that family has made, you must remember two things. First, they are the ruling family. They are our monarchs and they create and are above the law. We are all mere insignificant bugs that can be easily crushed by them if they will it so. And second, most importantly, the Gaunts are part of the Great Seven; and that is something you can never question."

There was a tense silence among the people as they digested the aristocrat's words.

"Father, if I may?"

Arthur looked at his eldest son and gave a tight nod.

"One's parentage won't necessarily demean the ingenuity of a person. The third Gaunt is this realm's best fighter and tactician-he is the primary reason why the Gaunts have not fallen from their thrones yet. He is a great friend of mine," Bill looked at all the people and felt his wife's fingers tighten around his arms as a silent support, "And I do not appreciate people who'll talk behind his back."

"Well said, my son. Well said," agreed the Weasley head.

"Speaking of the Gaunt siblings, I heard that the queen is beauty," whispered Molly from her husband's side as she tried to steer the mood.

There was a bark of laughter from the twins' side at that comment.

"That's putting it lightly, mother," chuckled Fred.

"Percy spent five pages describing the queen's beauty in his letters, after all," chimed George.

"If even perfect-"

"-ly asshole-"

"Percy was enamored by him,"

"And if this is the same Percy we're talking about,"

"Who cares for nothing but his position and status in the Capital,"

"Then simply stating that the queen is a beauty,"

"Is the understatement of the century!" the twins finished together.

"I miss Uncle Percy," Hugo suddenly stated.

The twins gave him an aghast look before kneeling down on his sides.

"Why would you miss that stuck-up prick-"

"George!" cried Hermione.

"When the two best uncles are here?"

The two proceeded to tickle the young boy and the tension that prevailed before dissipated completely with the change of topic.

"Oh, is that an owl?" someone asked.

All the attention was shifted to the hovering owl that circled the plaza before landing on the post beside the Weasley family. The animal hooted at the head aristocrat before puffing its chest out and the crowd gasped as the Gaunt royal seal shimmered under the sun from the owl's neck.

Hooves resounded from a few meters from the gates and after a few more seconds, knights in horses entered the estate. A trumpet being played echoed through the grounds and a middle aged knight started speaking.

"Presenting the Royal House of Gaunt!"

All the townspeople as well as the entire Weasley clan was on their knees in an instant. A brown stallion galloped near the Weasleys and the rider slowly took off his head gear and looked at the welcoming family.

"His Highness and Head of House, King Marvolo Gaunt!"

The king alighted from his horse and walked over to Arthur. The stern look on his face did not go unnoticed by Rose as she clung to her mother's dress.

"Arthur Weasley," he greeted in a flat tone, "Rise."

"Your Highness," the other man greeted back and flashed the king a smile as he straightened his robes.

King Marvolo gave a slight smirk in response and turned his attention to the oncoming entourage that consisted of a carriage and two notable well bred stallions. The rider of one of the aforementioned stallions took off his head gear and gracefully alighted.

"The Crown Prince and heir regent, Prince Morfin Gaunt!"

His cape swished from side to side with each step and his features were highlighted with the confident poise he had. His black hair appeared to glow under the rays of the sun and his equally dark eyes swept over the townsfolk and barely kept a sneer from forming in his face.

The other rider with the darker colored horse alighted as well and it was noted that his ebony black hair had some wavy curls at the tips and his high cheekbones furthered his sharp features. He had stormy dark eyes and the color was of the blue hue that bordered from extremely dark blue to black.

He had the same aristocratic aura as the crown prince but whilst the crown prince had his mixed with madness and cruelty, the young rider had power and a tinge of something unknown that sent shivers to anyone in the vicinity.

The man opened the golden carriage and out came four children―two of which were males. The eldest looked around twelve years of age and on his right he was escorting a young lady around the age of eleven. Next came a young girl who appeared eight years old and was closely trailed by a little boy perhaps around the same age as the youngest members of the Weasley clan. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the tiny squeal of Rose from her side.

"The children of the royal couple―Prince Cresil together with his betrothed, Princess Rheia; followed by Princess Ishtar and the youngest, Prince Salazar!"

The young girl and little boy was aided by the handsome rider in alighting the carriage and the latter was rewarded by a grateful smile with the action. The man tilted his head slightly in response and refocused his eyes inside the carriage.

"The enacting queen and House Matron of the Gaunts, Harrison James Gaunt!"

There were hushed murmurs that rippled through the crowd as a figure finally emerged from the carriage. The same rider who aided the children of the youngest generation of House Gaunt bowed waist down before holding out his hand and delicate looking fingers took the offered help.

The recipient brushed off imaginary dusts from his black royal robes that were lined with golden seams. He gently connected his arms with the rider's own and held hands with the youngest child in his right.

They walked towards the king and crown prince with definite grace in their steps. Upon nearing, the regent heir maneuvered the hands of the Carrier that was connected with the striking man to be transferred to his.

"My wife and beloved," he reintroduced with his own arms wrapped in the former's waist as if to mark his claim and territory. The other was either used to such action or didn't care that much for he ignored his husband and held out his right hand to the Weasley patriarch.

"Greetings, your highness," Arthur bowed before taking the future queen's offered hand and kissing the back of it as per the tradition.

"Pleasure," came the curt reply from the queen and it was only then that the rest of the clan and the town finally stood up and got a better look at the carrier monarch in front of them.

Arthur finally understood the reason for his third son's apparent awe to the beauty before him. Truth to be told, he looked nothing like the Gaunts and it was only his black hair that seemed to identify him as one, for the rest of his features were far too soft for his lineage.

His emerald green eyes were the highlight of his cherubic face and outshone the red lips and fair cheeks he owned. Said eyes looked at the rest of the Weasley House and lingered a bit on the eldest before giving a small smile to the children.

"This is my wife, Molly," introduced Arthur as the elder matron gave a curtsy, "and our children from the eldest to the youngest-Bill together with his wife, Fleur Delacour," Marvolo gave them an approving sort of nod, "Charlie; the twins, Fred and George; our youngest son, Ron together with his wife, Hermione Granger," both king and heir barely halted the snort that threatened to come out, "our only daughter, Ginny; and well, our third child had been with your company in the Capital for some months now."

"Percy Weasley, is it not?" came the soft inquiry from the House Matron of the Gaunts as he waved in the general direction of the owner of the name. All the way at the other side, Percy looked smug at being remembered by a royalty.

"Indeed," responded Arthur, and after a moment's hesitation and quick glance to the king, he added, "my queen" and it was met with a slight nod from the ruler's direction.

"Introductions are done now, isn't it?" King Marvolo stated.

"Ah, yes, yes. We welcome you to our humble abode," replied Arthur and was about to turn in order to direct them inside the estate when the queen's voice stopped him.

"I believe that you have all not been introduced to our other sibling," with that, he slipped away from his husband's arms and gently touched the handsome rider from before's biceps.

"This is Tom Marvolo Riddle, fourth in line to the throne and Midgard's best fighter and tactician."

The man dipped his head slightly in a form of greeting and the slight twitch in his lips was the only hint of a smile that formed in his face.

"Yes, now it's finally done. Let us enter now, shall we?" the king ground out in an impatient tone and gave a look at the crown prince who immediately grabbed the Carrier back into his arms.

Sensing some sort of tension hanging in the air, both Arthur and Molly directed the entourage inside the estate whilst showcasing some of the popular landmarks of the North.

All the while, Crown Prince Morfin did not relent his tight grip on his wife.

 **XXXXXXX**

From the moment Hermione Granger was old enough to understand what being born from a muggle household meant, she vowed to never go along with the prejudices of society. She didn't let the "impurity" of her blood hinder her from achieving her goals. She studied and worked hard if only to prove the bigotry wrong.

And she did.

She made her way up to the ranks of scholars and was idolized by her fellow muggles. A number of red headed nobles acknowledged her prowess and had generously offered her a position in the estate of the Northern ruling family. Things even became better when she met Ronald Weasley ("For the last time, 'Mione, it's 'Ron'!" "Whatever helps you sleep at night, _Ronald_.") and had been married with him.

Naturally, their marriage had been the scandal of the decade—a _Seven_ marrying a _non-Seven_. But then again, the Weasleys had always been one of the more accepting compared to some of the other seven prominent families as evidenced by the absence of the Malfoys, Blacks, Lestranges and Gaunts in their wedding. The odd Lovegoods of the East and the mild Longbottoms of the South had, however, been supportive and attended the wedding with much gusto.

For some reason, despite the harsh disregard of the other Sevens to muggles, the latter continued serving them and even going as far as to praising the ground they walked on. She frowned at the thought and sighed. It really couldn't be helped after all—for as history tells them, the Sun had given each of those families a gift of some sort in order to stop the War of Ages. And if history proves to be right (and she knows it is) then those items from the Sun enabled the Seven _more power_ other than politics and regency.

Soft clinking of tiny bells brought her back to the present. She hastily looked at her right where the queen sat.

"Is something the matter, Lady Hermione?"

"No. Nothing, my queen. My thoughts just strayed for a moment there," Hermione replied. Now that her attention was fully focused on the one beside her, she mentally agreed to the praises of beauty directed to the monarch.

The second son of the Gaunts added three tiny bell trinkets in the right side of his slightly longer than his shoulders' hair that was partnered with spiraling mini-braids. His face was devoid of any blemish and the dark kohl on his eyes further accentuated his unearthly emerald eyes.

 _No wonder Prince Morfin was extremely possessive of his spouse._

"Ahh, am I not able to hold your straying thoughts?"

Hermione almost choked on air and spluttered a response, "N—no! I mean yes! I just—what I want to say is—"

She was cut off by a soft chuckle from the other.

"I wasn't being serious, my lady. Forgive me for playing with you like that, I was just bored with all this," he paused and gave a nonchalant wave to the scene in front of them, " _festivities_."

Indeed, the festive air was all around them. The people danced near the bonfire and the best meat, fruit, and wine were being served to the nobles at the long table. The moon was full and helped illuminate the grounds of the Weasley estate.

The king, crown prince, and Weasley head were on the balcony overlooking the grounds with wines on their hand and seemed to be discussing something of lighthearted material. Hermione had to bite back a sigh when she caught a glimpse of her daughter animatedly talking with the the youngest Gaunt. Rose was waving her arms around as she relayed her stories to the other children of their age group together with Princess Ishtar although it was quite obvious that she was focusing more on Salazar Gaunt.

The betrothed, Prince Cresil and Princess Rheia ( _another_ incest, she noted, and felt a little alarm for the fate of the two younger Gaunts who had the probability of being engaged to one another as well should they reach ten summers already) were conversing with other young lords and ladies of the Northern court.

Near them, on the off-center of the grounds, the males were on a debate about a topic or two and those near them were barely keeping up with the arguments presented by the Weasley heir and Gaunt knight. The people were nodding to some of their points and a playful banter was felt amidst the debate.

"Yes, well the dominant males happen to love it more than us," replied Hermione.

"Eh? So, Tom, are you saying that democracy might actually be a good form of government?" The voice of Bill Weasley resounded from the other table. Hermione noted that the royalty in her right redirected his attention upon hearing the Weasley heir.

"I have no particular inclination on a distinct form of government but I prefer a mixed type. For example, if one continued to be an authoritarian leader with extreme laws and harshness towards his people then he is ruling the fear of his constituency. And a person guided by nothing but fear sees desperation in every situation and would sooner or later reach their breaking point. Thus, rebellions and bloody wars are more inclined to happen," he paused and looked at his companions to see if they understood and when satisfied, he pressed on, "If one lets full democracy take place, the people have too much freedom and boundaries are being taken away slowly but surely especially since almost eighty percent of the kingdom's population are uneducated. What happens in the long run is chaos. This is why I believe that a good balance between them is better."

There were murmurs of agreement by the people listening and the second heir merely tilted his head as a gesture of thanks to those who listened. His charismatic words and actions were drawing more people in their table and the fact that he was a Gaunt and was extremely easy to the eye as well aided in the rising of his status in their eyes.

"Still a _bastard_ though," a voice commented near them and Hermione's eyes landed on Aunt Muriel who appeared to be drinking too much wine for the night

"Still an incumbent _royalty_ who has the power to separate your brainless head from your unpleasant body," was the swift cold reply from the Gaunt House Matron.

The old lady's eyes widened at the defense and murmured apologies before making her way into the crowd and away from the dangerous glint of the queen.

Before Hermione could voice out her thought, a group of women danced their way up the balconies that caught the attention of most of the participants. They rounded the two patriarchs and performed in front of them in a hypnotic manner. The king waved them away from him but the crown prince welcome them with laugh when one dancer in particular knelt in a seducing manner before him.

If anybody observed the more than friendly touches that the heir regent was doing on the woman, nobody said a word.

Hermione, on the other hand, flushed in secondhand embarrassment and immediately tried to console the queen.

"My queen, I deeply apologize for the behavior of the ladies on the balcony," she dipped her head in a bow and unrelenting to look up unless she had been told otherwise.

There was a scoff from her companion and she flinched—the last thing she needed (actually, no, she did _not_ need it, thank you very much) was for an irate queen to start ordering the execution of her people because of the direct seduction being done by the women to his husband.

"Look up. I am not interested in talking to your hair for the rest of the evening," came the order.

"Men," she started off cautiously as she looked up slowly, "are sometimes _insatiable._ "

Emerald eyes turned to her and she knew he understood that the implication of the statement was really, " _It is not only your bonded that seeks pleasure on another for a lot of males are doing such."_ She was a bit disturbed by the appearance of a sneer that marred the queen's beautiful face.

" _Real_ mean are only insatiable when it comes to their one and _only beloved_."

Then suddenly there was a wistful smile that graced his features, "Yes, I am vehemently against the idea of bedding another that is not who you love. It makes me want to push those type of people to the Wastes. "

Before Hermione could even open her mouth to respond, the queen continued, "But I shall gift you an information that many does not know," he leaned closer and his lips brushed against her ear, "I honestly _don't_ give a damn what my husband's extracurricular bed activities are."

With that, he straightened in his seat once more and acted like nothing happened. The wife of the youngest son of the Weasleys shivered from the contact and chose to let silence reign over them for she was still processing his message whilst trying to calm her racing heart.

"I..." she said with a tone barely above a whisper.

In an effort to leave the awkward topic, Hermione's gaze returned to the young males' table where quite a number of people were already gathered and were raptly listening to the Gaunt with them.

"I heard that Lord Riddle is good friends with Bill."

"That he is."

"He is the youngest among you three siblings, isn't he? Are there marriage plans in his mind right now?" she asked.

She was quite confused when the queen's eyes dimmed for a moment before clearing up once more. It might have just been a trick of the moonlight.

"There used to be one before."

"Before? Is he part of the Kingsguard now?"

"No, he is not."

For some reason, Hermione felt that if she said something else that would break the silence, she would be intruding on some holy ground and for that, she clamped her mouth shut. The sound of laughter seemed to surround them and everybody was having the time of their lives with the festivities. And as the lady stole a glance at her companion, she understood even more why there were a lot that was enamored by the Carrier—there seemed to be an unearthly glowing aura that enveloped him and a far-away look. She didn't expect for the other to speak more, but when he did, she felt like she was missing something big.

" _There used to be one before, yes. But now it is no longer possible."_

 **XXXXXXX**

Rose could definitely she had loads of fun for the night. The youngest prince was very handsome and polite, just like how princes from the stories told to her by her mother was supposed to be. She giggled in remembrance on how charming Salazar Gaunt was.

She let out a dreamy sigh and turned on her bed again.

Oh, now she couldn't sleep because thoughts refuse to shut down in her mind!

Making a quick decision, she sat up and swung her legs to the edge of the bed. The moment her feet felt the ground, she crouched down and started looking for her slippers without the aid of the light. Once she found them, she quietly opened her bedroom door and looked left and right of the hallway before finally exiting.

Maybe she could go to the Astronomy Tower and watch the stars from there? And she could even find the best spot and invite the Prince Salazar tomorrow! With that decision in mind, she hurried her footsteps but still managing to prevent too much noise.

She twisted her nightgown and knotted it at both sides so that she wouldn't accidentally step on them when she climbed the secret passage she found on the way up. It wouldn't do her good if she suddenly slipped and her lost footing, now would it?

Her tiny hands grasped the cold stone on the side of the tower and made her way up. Once she reached the back of the Griffin statue, where the passage she discovered lead, she frowned when she heard some odd noises.

"Ahhh…mo—moooore…"

"Hmm…"

She looked beyond the statue and saw a two people desperately kissing each other while the man on top gripped the second's waist as the latter wrapped their legs around the other. The first man started moving in an almost animalistic manner and although Rose doesn't fully understand what was happening, she knew it was something intimate.

The clouds partially hiding the moon was swept over by a gust of wind and the full moon illuminated the place. Once Rose saw the faces of the two people, she let out a loud gasp and accidentally kicked a stray stone when she tried to back away.

The two people immediately stopped their activities and looked her way. And when she saw them identify her, a sense of dread fell on her.

 **XXXXXXX**

Harry mentally berated himself as he stared at his reflection in the mirror—although the only thing he can really see were his glowing eyes. He skillfully removed the trinkets from his hair and in a fit of irritation, he threw the tiny bells aside with unnecessary force and he heard it clink continuously as it slipped through the tiny crack at the bottom of his door.

He waited for the sound to stop before staring at himself again.

He can't believe he said such cryptic hints towards the Weasley lady. Hopefully, her companion for the night won't think too much of his words. He sighed and messed his hair in a frustrated manner before resting his face on his right hand.

" _Well, well, isn't that a good look on you?"_

Harry stiffened in surprise before relaxing when he recognized the voice.

"I would have thought that charming the Northern people with your silver tongue would take the rest of your night. What ever are you doing here, _Tom?_ "

Footsteps were heard from behind him and felt the other take his right hand away from his face—he glared at the taller male when he was forced to "unrest" his face. His glare was ignored and long fingers combed through his messed up hair.

A soft clinking of bell made him open his eyes (when had he even closed them?) and found the other male attaching his hair ornament once more. Tom really couldn't help himself to take interesting abandoned things on the ground and presenting them to Harry and the elder Gaunt released a hearty chuckle at the thought.

The fingers on his hair paused and raised an eyebrow in silent question.

Harry shook his head—the bells clinking with each other and filling the tranquil silence of the room—and lifted his right hand and linked it together with the hands rested on his locks. He leaned back to the warm body behind him and breathed deeply.

He felt the other step closer to him to bring both of them closer. And in the middle of the room with no light and its windows shut tight, they fell on a melancholic silence ( _they could have been_ —if only…)

"Why couldn't everybody else just die?" murmured Harry.

Tom lightly pinched his cheeks as a form of reprimand to his brother—earning him a pout as the Carrier rubbed his cheeks that turned pink from the treatment.

"Be watchful of what you voice. You should know better that the walls have eyes and ears," came the chide but the farce was ruined when he cupped the pink-tinted cheeks and gently massaged it to lessen whatever pain was left and started taking the outer layers of the esteemed queen's cloak off.

"C'mon, let's put you to bed before," his mouth tightened as he released the next words, " _your husband_ arrives."

Harry immediately stood up when he saw Tom's expression through the mirror. He faced him, reached out both his hands on Tom's face, and kissed him deeply. Before the other could voice out his concerns, Harry stopped for a moment and let their lips softly touch without really kissing, before he responded to the unheeded concerns of the other male.

"You've seen how he touched those women earlier. He's not going to—pardon the pun— _come_ tonight," with that, he connected their lips once more; only this time, it was deeper, _more desperate._

"Can't…make…hmm…can't make love…here…" Harry managed to say in between their passionate kissing.

Tom growled under his breath and proceeded to drag Harry out the room to find a different location. As they traversed through the estate halls, he figured that his companion was far too slow for his liking and without warning, started to carry him bridal style.

There was an undignified yelp from the reigning regent and Tom had to smirk despite the growing need and arousal he was sporting. It wasn't everyday that you heard such sounds from him and he took great pleasure in knowing that only _he_ can enable those sounds from the other.

Perhaps, in another universe, it wasn't the Astronomy Tower they decided to go to. Perhaps, in another universe, Rose easily fell asleep through the night. Perhaps, in another universe, no unfortunate _accident_ was bound to happen.

Alas, not in this universe.

They were in the middle of their lovemaking when they both heard a startled gasp and a stone being hit. The two immediately halted their activity and looked for the source of the sound, as if sensing their wishes, the moon's light slowly illuminated the rest of the top of the tower and their eyes found a little girl covering her mouth with both hands.

Tom let out a deep sigh and upon making sure that his private parts were covered, he walked towards the child. The kid whimpered and backed off again but hastily stopped when she realized that there was no more room to back off to for the pit was already behind her.

"Hey, hey, calm down, okay?"

"TOM!"

Rose's attention snapped to the queen who was still naked with only a hastily covered cloak. There was so much panic in his voice that did nothing to quell the sense of dread that she was feeling at the moment.

"Tom! She saw us!"

"I know, Harry, I know. Just let me—"

"I won't tell! I promise!" Rose interrupted the young man.

Tom took a step closer, knelt down to her level and looked straight at her eyes. Rose felt like he was checking her soul to see if she was lying or not so she did her best to not look away. The man opened his mouth and she was expecting questions like, " _Are you lying?"_ or " _How can we trust you?"_ when the monarch quickly stood up, only clutching the discarded cloak in front him to preserve some decency.

"Tom!"

"Harry, she—"

"Tom, I swear to the fucking Witch of the Wastes, if you don't do something, I will! She saw us!"

"I—"

Whatever he wanted to say was cut off when desperate sounds of crying was heard from the queen who crumpled to the tower's cold stony ground. His form was badly shaking and he held one of his hands to his mouth to try and smother his cries.

"She saw us," he continuously repeated as he cried, "If _they_ found out…Oh god…she saw us…she saw us…Tom…"

Something in the man eyes that knelt in front of her glazed as his eyes solely focused on the weeping queen. When he looked back at her she felt herself freezing from the cold with the blank eyes he now sported. His right hand reached out to pet her hair and he leaned closer to her.

And the next thing Rose knew, _she was falling._

(She could have sworn that the last words she heard him say was, " _Ahh, the things I do for love._ ")

 **XXXXXXX**

 **END OF CHAPTER ONE**


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